Viking Eggeling - Symphonie Diagonale

[mishmoshable]

These instruments sound like keyboard samples. It sounds like it was sequenced by a computer with its perfect timing, but this was made in 1929?

[mishmoshable]

@mishmoshable 1924*

[lunitakarola]

Taking almost four years to complete, this frame- by-frame animation showed a strong correlation between music and painting in the movements of the figures, which were created from paper cutouts and tin foil. Eggeling died in Berlin approximately two weeks after his film was released.

[garabonczia]

the music is so epic, it would be a shame to loose it.

[ZaliMistak3]

The music comes with the film.

So yes, you are supposed to watch it with the music.

[Spoonie86]

@deadaliceproject: I came across this fact in an exhibition called "Ré Soupault: Eine Künstlerin im Zentrum der Avantgarde". The exhibition catalogue (available under the same title via Amazonde/ co.uk) probably states reliable sources. There are also books on her in German, but they are more concerned with her work as a photographer. For a "source" in English I can only refer you to the Wikipedia entry on "Absolute film" (end of 6th paragraph), but that only cites a website... Good luck!

[Spoonie86]

This piece of art is hugely indebted to the German-French artist Ré Soupault (1901-1996). Eggeling didn't have the necessary film production skills to realize his idea. She taught herself film editing and produced this masterpiece in one year of exhausting work in a cold attic. She was hardly credited for this because of some rivalries between Eggeling and another artist. I saw an exhibitionon her work as a photographer and key Avantgarde figure in Mannheim (Germany) yesterday. Check her out!

[deadaliceproject]

@Spoonie86 If you don't mind me inquired, what sources state this? I'm doing a presentation and it would be interesting to incorporate this information is I can source it properly. :) Thanks.

[nekromantikk]

Hello all who are wondering who created the music for this piece (which was added later, not with the original release of this film) - it is by SUE HARSHE.

[FauxFang]

@nekromantikk Do you know the name of the song?

[FauxFang]

@nekromantikk Do you know the name of the song?

[harshe2000]

@FauxFang Song doesn't have a title. It was written to be played live with this film at a one-time film event in Columbus, OH. Kino then asked me to put music to the film on their Avant Garde series. I used the same composition. I agree with the statement, "just use the mute button". There has been lots of discussion about whether to put music to these films. Some feel it doesn't allow one to view the film as it was intended; others feel it gives a film new life/audience/reference points/etc.

[vuhldis]

looks like a Kandinsky - wow

[katzeonline]

awesome!

[Sukhime]

I gotta say that I prefer it with the music. Makes it way more dramatic and interesting

[celestialrailroad]

This is not a pop video. Whoever puts pop music to this kind of film deserves shooting in the head.

[shullio]

this music doesnt follow the rhytm of the movie.. imho wrong choice. much better without.

[shalaputnik]

what is the music?

[novice841]

@shalaputnik This version of the film recently aired on the Classic Arts Showcase channel, where they did credit the recording artist on the musical underscore. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name; perhaps they can still track this down.

[novice841]

@shalaputnik Sorry, I had left my previous comment before being able to see the end of the feature here (too much buffering). The composer's name is Sue Harshe.

[projectchon]

it does go well with Massive Attack

[anetyrey]

Im agree with Maplovideo. the first projection of this film in 1924 was without music. The artist, Viking Eggeling didnt want to played it with any accompaniment. We should use our music and other experience to interpret it. And yes, he was connected with Dadaism movement but he wasnt agree with everything what they had done.

[mercury8826]

I also believe that whether you find this pieces fascinatingly full of meaning or simply filling you with great rage, then the artist has succeeded.

[mercury8826]

Actually, the 'point' of this piece isn't to be read into, per se. This is a form of DaDaism that was very popular in that time. It's considered Anti-art. The Dada artists' goals were to invoke confusion or anger in the viewer because they would be trying to read into something that has nothing to be read. This kind of art was intended to insult the audience without their knowledge. Although, whether intentional or not, I do still believe that there is a lot to get from this piece.

[danielmetalsp]

exelente corto!!!

[maplovideo]

don't think it was supposed to be watch with any music........hum !

by watching it like that, we totally miss the point of this film.

[womandarin]

even withouth the music you couldn't get the real point, it was made in 1924 when the movies and peoples were totally different....they had different points of view, we can't even wonder about them.

[maplovideo]

Well cinema is not that old, and 1924 is not that far, so it's not about wondering but about reading, and there's lots of litterature on it :)...(To me) this movie is about synesthesia and being able to associate the movement of forms with sounds, organizing geometrical shapes as music, that why it denatures it to actually put any sound on it...

[womandarin]

sure we are also different, I like this video and it has an effect on me, but for me 1924 is far away, for example i can't imagine to live between two wars in a totally desperate society...

[maplovideo]

I totally agree on this point :)

[spunktafari]

@maplovideo

just press the "mute"-button :-)

[waiting4smtin]

love the music

[theshakl]

hey there fellow 101A classmates

[waiting4smtin]

hey wow is that you? i can't believe it is you. how u doin? don't u just love our class? study hard ok cause u need to

[sinfonicodiagonal]

me encanta este corto, la musica es ............una pasadaaaaaaaaa